Ripples of Old Wounds
by LotusRootsAndBambooShoots
Summary: Mitsuru has noticed that Iori is uncomfortable around her, and she intends to solve that problem, seeing it as a threat to the unity of SEES. Junpei, meanwhile, receives support from his friends as he attends to his most hated obligation. Story contains mentions and depictions of abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Fair warning, this story will contain talk of abuse and the effects it can have on victims, later on in their lives. This story will also incorporate a few headcanons that may not play well with information found in material outside of the game, such as Drama CDs.

* * *

Yukari Takeba spared a glance behind her to make sure her friend, enemy, ally, and dorm-mate Junpei Iori was still following and had all of her bags. Said boy was loaded up with her purchases from nearly every store in Paulownia Mall by this point and if he was having any trouble, his "macho glory" wasn't allowing him to show it. One wouldn't expect him of all people to be her choice for pack-mule, but he'd been doing this job a long time, since before there was anyone else to do it, and they worked well enough together. He shot her a grin when he realized she was looking and she smirked and rolled her eyes in return. It was such a simple exchange, she thought, but exemplary of their relationship.

"Alright, this one's my last stop." she said as they had reached the chosen store, a ladies' underwear shop. Junpei immediately went to follow her in, but was nearly clotheslined by her arm jumping out to stop him. "Nice try, Junpei."

He just grinned again. "Can't blame me for tryin', Yuka-tan. It's the only place where I'd _enjoy_ giving ya my opinion!"

"Oh, I'm sure you would, ugh..." She did that disgusted sound pretty well. It comes with practice, Junpei figured. "Anyway! Like I promised, after I'm done in here, I'll buy you a drink at Chagall and even consider going to karaoke with you tomorrow after school. You'll have to wait out here though." She cracked a small smile as he shook his knees exaggeratedly, as if about to be crushed under the weight of his enormous burden. "Oh fine, gimme that, you big baby..." She grabbed an armload of bags and turned towards the shop entrance with a huff.

"See ya, Yuka-tan!" he called to her and flopped down on the nearby bench. Mentally, he checked the presence of her bags so he would know if any of them were to go missing, and laid his head against the back of the bench, closing his eyes. Tartarus had wiped him out last night, after Mina-tan took them all the way from the last barrier to the next one in one go. A couple months ago, Junpei would never have thought he could do something like that, but here he was, up and walking the very next day. The first time they tried doing that, they were all so bushed they got sick afterwards and Mitsuru-senpai asked Mina-tan to tone it down a little. Good times.

He could sense someone sitting down on the bench next to him, which was unusual. There were a lot of benches around, normally you'd take one with no one on it. But hey, it didn't bother him. He kept his eyes closed and mumbled a greeting. "Yo, sup?"

There was a short pause before his guest answered. "...Greetings, Iori." Came the distinct, refined voice of Mitsuru Kirijo.

Junpei scrambled to an upright position, while also being careful not to accidentally smack his senpai with one of Yukari's bags. "Uh, I mean...! G-good afternoon, Kirijo-senpai!" Of all the residents in the dorm, Mitsuru was the one he had the least contact with. Mina-tan was the leader, but Mitsuru was the boss. And to be honest, she scared him.

Mitsuru was a little surprised by his reaction. "...Iori, there's no need to be so nervous. I may be your senior, but we are not in school right now, nor are we exterminating shadows. We live in the same dorm, so don't worry."

He relaxed, barely. "Y-yes ma'am. I mean, Kirijo-senpai."

For a few minutes, they sat next to each other in awkward silence. Junpei in a pile of shopping bags, and Mitsuru with one leg crossed over the other, kicking the air softly. "So, uh... what brings you out today, Kirijo-senpai?" Junpei asked when he could no longer bear it.

She flicked her gaze, and her hair, in the direction of the police station. "Akihiko is picking up a special delivery we had sent to Officer Kurosawa. I decided to wait out here." She glanced over at him. "I would ask you the same question, but that bag is from Takeba's favorite store." She finished with a small smile.

Junpei nodded. "I'm her official pack mule, ya know. Have been for as long as I can remember."

Mitsuru hummed. "Wouldn't that start rumors that you two...?"

He shrugged. "If someone brings it up, Yuka-tan corrects 'em real fast. By now, seeing us together... it's just accepted, so it doesn't come up anymore..." He had managed to calm down from before, but there was still a stilted quality to what he said he couldn't get rid of. Normally he had to prepare a little bit before talking to Mitsuru-senpai. This time the interaction was sprung upon him, and although he was aware he had done nothing wrong, speaking with her forced him to subconsciously put his guard up.

Another awkward silence fell in as Junpei switched to watching the storefront for Yukari, then, realizing he was gazing at a lingerie store, pretended to be considering the cafe.

"Is something wrong, Iori?" Mitsuru asked, noting his jumpiness.

"N-no senpai. I'm fine. Just on edge today."

"And why is that, Iori?"

"Uh..."

"I'm back!" Yukari called, emerging from the store with an additional bag. "Didn't take too much time to find what I wanted- Oh hey, senpai!"

"Afternoon, Takeba-" Mitsuru started as Junpei leapt up from his seat, bags rustling.

"Nice seein' ya today senpai, gotta go though, Yuka-tan owes me coffee!" He grabbed Yukari by the hand (who was too confused to react violently) and headed off to Chagall.

Mitsuru watched them go, startled. Iori was acting strangely...

* * *

"What the hell was that about?" Yukari demanded, the exact second they hit the seats at their table. "Even you don't usually act that crazy around Mitsuru-senpai. So what's the deal?"

Junpei shifted a little in his seat. "Why wouldn't I? She's scary and I didn't have time to get ready! I didn't know she would be there!"

That confused Yukari even more. What did he mean, get ready? "I'll give you that she's scary, but she's not going to eat you-" Junpei snickered, involuntarily. "-What? Ugh, I'm just going to assume it's a sex thing and move on. Anyway, there's no reason to be, like, afraid of her. So she must have been doing something. Is this about your exam grades again?"

Junpei shook his head. "No, nothing like that... I'm just kinda nervous about tomorrow."

Yukari softened. She had forgotten all about that. "Oh... right, that's tomorrow... Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... I made it through last month okay, so I can make it through anything. 'Sides, I'm the hero, Junpei Iori. Slayer of shadows! You've heard of me, right?" He thumped his puffed out chest.

Yukari snorted, but in a friendly way. "Sure, I may have seen a video of you getting whacked in the crotch somewhere." a pause as they sipped their coffee. "But seriously though, do you need me to go with you? The agreement's still open."

Junpei was swirling his coffee in it's cup, trying to pretend he hadn't burned the top layer off his tongue on the first sip. "Nah. I'm not really scared anymore. Ever since second year started it's just... sad. I don't really want you to see..."

"Mmm. I could probably handle it."

"...I don't want you to."

Yukari sighed. "We agreed to support each other, Stupei."

"Not really in the mood for that nickname today, Yuka-tan. And anyway, just cause I don't want you seeing the wreck that place is, or the wreck _he_ is, don't mean I don't want your support. I just don't want _pity._ "

The girl stared down at the tablecloth. She was kinda out of her element here. "That's not what I'd do. You wouldn't pity me-"

"How d'ya know I wouldn't?"

"Because- uh, wait... never mind, forget what I said."

They had played the "who's home life is worse" game before. It was never a good idea.

An awkward silence fell in for a moment as they both avoided addressing the previous topic before Yukari broke it again. "I wouldn't have dragged you out here if I remembered what day it is. I should probably mark it on my calendar."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, I like comin' out here. It's kinda normal, y'know?"

She nodded. Normalcy was something that hadn't really been in either of their lives since before they met, and it was in greater demand now than ever.

"Anyway, what are our plans for after?" He asked, after a long sip of his coffee.

"Karaoke. I'll sing the Featherman Ranger opening with you, if you'd like."

Junpei brightened considerably. "No foolin'?"

"No foolin'."

* * *

The events at the mall had not left Mitsuru's thoughts since Iori sprinted into Chagall with Takeba. If his strange hostility was limited to this occasion she would have ignored it, but Iori had always seemed uneasy around her, particularly. Akihiko was also his Senpai, however Iori had no trouble interacting with the older boy, aside from the usual respect a junior was expected to show to his senior. In fact, the two had gotten into some kind of trouble at the beach together, although neither seemed willing to explain what had happened. (Mitsuru had let the issue go, it was to be expected for two teenaged boys to have their misadventures, provided no one was harmed.)

With her, however, Iori was getting more and more nervous as time went on. She knew he saw her as an authority figure, and he should, but she was still just a student. Arisato was his true leader, and she was not shy about giving him orders within and without Tartarus. He did chafe under her leadership in the beginning, but now they were arguably the closest pair on the team. Arisato was honestly one of the most intimidating people Mitsuru had ever met, when she wanted to be. So if Iori had issues with authority, why wouldn't he have trouble with her? Was it simply the fact they had contact before joining SEES? Was it because they were in the same year?

Mitsuru shook her head. What was important to her was SEES. If there was disunity in the team, it could lead to greater problems down the road. Each member of SEES needs to be at least friendly with the rest of their teammates, but ensuring this was a task Mitsuru had fallen down on lately. This was so much easier when it was just her, Akihiko, and Shinjiro.

She put down the book she was pretending to read and regarded Akihiko, seated on the couch beside her, for a moment. Her boxer friend was busy stuffing noodles into his face, but turned to look at her when he realized she was staring. He had a few noodles dangling from his lips and was trying to slurp them up, still chewing. The sight brought her briefly back to the years when SEES was first formed, and the horror-filled gasps of the Kirijo family servants at Akihiko's poor manners. He hadn't changed since then, and she didn't want him to. "Akihiko, what do you think of Iori?"

Thankfully, he took the time to swallow before he responded. "...I think he's a decent enough fighter. What do you mean, exactly?"

Mitsuru stood from the couch to begin pacing as she gathered her thoughts. "I mean his personality. What do you know of him as a person?"

Akihiko put down his food and clasped his hands under his chin, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Well... he's kind of a typical second year, as far as I can tell. I don't know him as well as Arisato does, but... he goes to karaoke, hangs out with his friends and flirts with girls."

"When you say he flirts with girls... would you say he's ever nervous with women he does not know?" She asked next.

Akihiko shrugged. "A little maybe, but he hides it pretty well. He's not what I'd call confident, but he's not all that nervous either." Wisely, he decided to leave "Operation Babe Hunt" out of the conversation.

"I see..." Mitsuru murmured, not satisfied. "What about..." She hesitated for a moment, searching for a way to ask "is Iori intimidated by powerful women?" without sounding... weird. That was a lost cause, so she dropped the thought. "Never mind. Akihiko, when we were at the mall earlier today, I sat with Iori while you spoke with Kurosawa. I attempted to make small talk with him, but he seemed very uncomfortable with my presence. As if he was afraid of me."

He nodded. "And this bothers you?"

"Yes. If he was simply nervous around a senior, and overly formal or quiet as a result, that would be one thing. However, he was trying, and failing, to act natural. When Takeba returned, he was in a rush to get away from me. If this was only the one time, I wouldn't worry about it. But he has been acting this way more and more lately. This presents a threat to our team unity, and if I can do anything about it, I must."

As she finished speaking, a horrible thought occurred to Mitsuru. If Iori had become nervous around her, and was getting worse at it, was it possible that Iori had a crush on her? God, she hoped not. That would be awkward and weird, and worst of all, she couldn't really do anything about it, other than hope he got over it... She pushed the thought from her mind. If that was really the case, she would just ignore it and hope it goes away. She had neither the time, nor the experience to handle someone else's _feelings_. Ugh.

She wondered if Akihiko came to the same conclusion, and that was why he was thinking so long. After considering her words for a while, he finally spoke. "He might be sick. I've seen how he eats, and he hardly exercises outside of Tartarus. That might be making him unstable."

Right, she almost forgot who she was talking to for a second. "I doubt that, Akihiko. His dietary habits have not changed for months."

He raised an eyebrow. "You keep tabs on what the second years are eating, Mitsuru?"

Was that weird, she wondered? "I keep tabs on everything that may effect their performance in battle."

He picked his food back up, a sure sign he didn't intend to continue conversing after his next statement. "Well, that made me think... maybe there's something in Junpei's file that will help. I know you don't like looking at those, but..." He trailed off and just went to eating

Mitsuru bit her lip. She really didn't like intruding on her team's privacy. They didn't know she had received detailed reports on each of them prior to allowing them into SEES, and her assistants in the Kirijo Group had advised against telling them. She had only read them once and then put them away out of respect.

But this was exactly what the reports were _for_. Just in case she needed some special information to ensure that the soldiers in her little army could fight effectively together. To push, force or intimidate, to coax, entice or persuade, manipulating whatever she could to keep them trusting each other not to stab them in the back so they can risk their lives as a united front.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and paused in her ascent up the stairs. The dark thoughts were back again. That was just what she needed tonight.

Maybe it would be better to make an early night of it and do her research tomorrow.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you for reading to the end! I have not yet decided how many parts this story will take but it's one I've been working on for a little while. I'm nervous because of the rather serious subject matter, but it's not a subject I'm writing about with no personal experience, mind you.

I rarely see any fanwork bring up the fact that Junpei is an abuse survivor. I want to fix that, and do so respectfully. It is a major part of his character, and part of why he's not just an idiot/pervert/comic relief.

If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review! I read and appreciate all of them, registered user or guest, and they help motivate me to continue writing. I have other stories, mostly about Junpei as well if you'd like to read them, or read some of Leafydream's stuff, which I also like. Take care of yourselves.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** This story contains mention and depictions of violence and abuse. On a less serious note, it also contains headcanons and liberties with the source material that may conflict with things like manga and drama CDs, but makes for a more interesting fic.

* * *

This was maybe the worst part, Junpei figured. Walking through the lobby, up the staircase and down the halls of the apartment building. Until he was inside his father's home, he had no idea what would be waiting for him there. Some days, the old man would be relatively sober and in a good mood, and they'd have a visit that went something like what Junpei imagined a normal father-son relationship to be. Other times, he'd be passed out on the floor, still wasted from a bender the previous night.

Far too often he would be exactly as Junpei remembered and thought of him; a drunk, violent man.

No turning back now- Junpei knocked on the door. The sounds that came from inside sounded far too much like someone getting up off the floor with difficulty for his taste. When the door finally opened a minute or so later, the man standing in the entryway was haggard and slightly hunched over, dressed in a white dress shirt, tie absent, which had been unbuttoned down to the ribcage. He was very clearly hungover and hadn't shaved for several days.

"c'min." he grunted and wandered inside.

Junpei followed. "Hey, Dad..." he said, quietly, and had a look around. Bottles were strewn everywhere as usual, as well as old, dirty ramen bowls and fast food bags. There was a musty smell around the apartment, and there clearly hadn't been any cleaning done in quite a while. Junpei felt like he had gone from a badass shadow-killing warrior back to a powerless kid the second he crossed the threshold, and he felt sick to his stomach looking at the place he could hardly believe was his home before he moved to the dorm.

His father settled back into his chair as soon as Junpei was inside, not paying attention as his son opened a window and put the old box fan in. He made a few protests about wasting electricity as it was turned on, but seemed too sick to get up and turn it off himself. Junpei headed into the kitchen, intending to make some coffee.

The kitchen was just as filthy as the rest of the place, so he decided to clean up before starting the coffeemaker. Fortunately there was still some sink cleaner in the cabinet, meaning he could give the sink a good scrub before drawing the water. Cleaning was a skill the boy had to pick up after his mom left, as his dad wouldn't bother. He mused a little on the thought as he scrubbed. His dorm-mates wouldn't believe it, seeing what his room looked like, but that was different. Sure there was stuff all over the floor, but it wasn't like it was actually filthy- orderliness and organization wasn't as important to him as it was to others, that's all.

By the time he finished rinsing, his father was talking again. "Get me a beer from the fridge while yer in there."

Junpei sighed. "Dad, you're hungover. Water and coffee will be better for ya."

"I said now!" his father shouted.

The boy felt a shock go through his entire body at hearing his dad raise his voice. All his muscles tensed, his vision went blurry for a moment and he felt light-headed. "Comin', dad." He heard himself say.

* * *

She put off the actual task as much as she could- first she had to finish all of her paperwork for that day, and then clean her bedroom/office up a little as well. She brewed a pot of fresh tea and sat down. It was finally the moment when she had nothing else to do but reread Iori's file.

She thumbed through the pages, giving each one the lightest glance she could to avoid learning anything she didn't already know. She was looking for a particular topic; something told her that there might be answers in the section detailing his family. Upon finding it, she started from the beginning and read thoroughly.

She had been through this document before, of course, but that was before she even met Iori, and it was a while ago. She was making excuses to herself, she knew, but she honestly just hadn't committed this to memory. When she found the topic she sought, the information started to come back to her as she read.

Iori's mother had left his father when he would have been about nine or ten. No explanation was given on why she left, or why she didn't take Iori with her. But it could be inferred that the senior Mr. Iori had not taken the loss well, as he was fired from his job due to alcoholism not long after. A few more job losses were recorded after, making her wonder if he was even employed now.

Mitsuru felt a chill as she continued. Apparently Iori was caught explaining a few bruises to different teachers with conflicting stories, and they brought him to the guidance councilor and asked if his father hit him. He said no. He was lying, Mitsuru knew. Why, she didn't know.

She stood and paced back and forth in her room. She cursed herself for not following up on this the first time she read this report. Was she any better than those teachers that let the issue drop? She was far too immersed in expanding SEES and preparing for battle at that time, that she completely forgot to treat her dorm-mates as humans. Was she any better, for that matter, than her grandfather, who saw his underlings as pawns, sacrificing anything in pursuit of his goal?

Dark thoughts again. Maybe she should go to the doctor about this.

She shook her head as if clearing it, and put the reports away. She had to take these issues one at a time and the one she was working on now was Junpei's fearful attitude around her. She was forced to look again to the possibility that it had to do with her status as an authority. For a long time, his father was his main authority, and also a horrible abuser. But that was only a possible explanation, and jumping to conclusions could hurt him.

She needed advice. Someone better than her at... people. She got out her phone.

* * *

Minako sat alongside Yukari in silence. When her friend had dropped by her room about 5 minutes ago to tell her where Junpei had gone and that he'd probably be back soon, she had rushed down ahead of her right away, determined to make sure that when he got back from that bastard's home, her best bro would be greeted by her smiling face. She had only sat for about a minute before she decided that she needed cookies out too. Fortunately, she had just made a batch with Fuuka and threw a few onto a plate, bringing it out and putting it proudly on the table.

As she sat down again, she realized she had never seen Junpei coming back from visiting his dad before, and didn't know how he'd be feeling. She had never seen him do it before, but would he need to cry? Sure, he acted like he was a manly-man all the time, but she wasn't going to presume. She jumped up again to grab a box of tissues, but put it under the table so he wouldn't see.

Of course, while she was up she considered that maybe he would just like to chill with video games? Better hook up the console and fetch the controller from her room.

Yukari watched, somewhere between concerned and amused, as her fearless leader ran around the dorm, which was now looking less like they were waiting to meet their friend and more like they were throwing a party. "You don't have to do all that you know. He's just gonna want to go get food and sing karaoke." She told Minako once she had returned from making a fresh pot of tea.

The normally confident, now frazzled, Minako slumped back into the couch. "I... I just want to be ready to take care of him." She was feeling kind of sick all of the sudden.

Yukari put a hand on her best friend's arm. "It's fine, Mina-chan. I understand that you're worried and all, but he's not gonna come back a broken man or anything... These visits just stress him out. Give him a hug or something, and then we'll go out together."

They waited for a bit longer. He wasn't normally gone this long, and Yukari was starting to wonder if he was alright. She definitely wasn't about to tell Minako about that, given the girl's current state. Of course, it was just because she valued her friends so much. "You know," She started, to fill the silence. "I'm not really supposed to tell you this, but... Junpei and I have a kind of agreement. I told you about my mother, right?"

Minako nodded. Yukari and her mother were still on poor terms, but it was hard to tell just how bad it was between them, and she sure as hell wasn't going to just ask _._

"Well, Junpei's the only other person I've told about that... He and I kinda grew up together. We've always fought and teased each other, but we've got an agreement to support each other when we need to deal with our parents. Even if we're in the middle of a huge fight, we've gotta drop it if we're dealing with our parents."

This went a long way towards explaining their relationship, Minako thought. They had each other's backs. No wonder they worked so well in combat together. "Wow Yukari-chan... You two are closer than I thought."

Yukari shrugged. "Back then... It was just the two of us. So we had to turn to each other for help. We didn't trust any adults or anything. But we could rely on each other, 'cause... We could both understand each other." She finished with a forced smile, but it didn't last. She turned to stare at the table again, guiltily.

"Okay, that's not really true. Our situations are really different. Just like with you, I projected onto him what I wanted. I've always been kinda desperate that way..." She sighed and placed her head in her hands.

Minako enveloped Yukari in a hug and pulled her against her body tightly. "Well Yukari-chan, I think what you did was a good thing. You both needed and still need help and I'm glad you reached out to each other." She finished with a peck on Yukari's cheek. She's such a tactile person, and all the second years had gotten used to Minako's hugs and kisses.

Yukari sniffed. "His situation's worse than mine. I shouldn't be complaining."

Minako gently tugged on Yukari's chin to get her to look her in her face, which had grown serious. "Don't say things like that. You're not competing with each other. Even if someone has it worse than you, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to feel bad, or talk about it, or seek help for it. He has his problems and you have yours, and neither one is less important than the other. Got it?"

Yukari couldn't help but smile. She didn't know why she'd ever expect anything other than love from Minako. "Okay, I got it."

As she finished answering, the door lock began to rattle, alerting them to Junpei's return. He strode in mid-tired sigh, with his jacket on despite the blazing heat outside.

Yukari stood to meet him, but Minako just vaulted the whole table from a standstill and jumped into his arms. "Whoa, hey Mina-tan! Happy to see ya too!" It seemed to cheer him up until she leaned against his arm and he winced. "Ooh, hey, careful. That spots kinda tender."

She backed off, confused. "Why is it... are you okay!?"

One look at her face was all Junpei needed to know that she already knew. Fear and sadness overshadowed by great anger directed at someone that wasn't him. He turned to Yukari. "...You told her, huh?"

Yukari shifted uncomfortably. "She already knew the important parts. Anyway, you're home, so take off that dumb jacket before you sweat through it. Let me see it."

Junpei obliged, dropping his discarded uniform coat on the floor, and rolled up his sleeve. Just below his shoulder was a purple splotch of a bruise. Yukari examined it closely, much calmer in this situation than Minako expected, as Junpei continued. "It doesn't really hurt bad or anything. I just let my guard down for a second and he got me with a beer bottle. Just gimme the clean bill of health and I'll be fine, doc." He grinned, happy just to be home, and away from there.

Minako was shaking. Shaking in rage. She wasn't sure why she expected that Junpei would be alright this time, but she had. She just figured that his dad wasn't like that anymore, or wouldn't physically be able to hurt Junpei, but from the way her friends were acting, this must be the way it is _every month._

Minako was a violent person. She knew that was a problem, but it was just a part of her, and she accepted it. She liked fighting. And right now, she wanted nothing more than to beat the tar out of Iori senior. It must have really shown on her face, because as she stomped purposefully over to the front door, both Yukari and Junpei were yelling at her to stop.

She turned and glared, momentarily angry that they interrupted her wrath, but her face fell when she realized what she was doing. "I... I'm sorry, guys. That's... wrong."

They were on her right away, taking hold of her from each side. Yukari spoke first. "I understand you're angry, but... it's better that you just stay here with us, right now. Please?"

Junpei swept her up in another hug. "It's okay, Mina-tan... We're... uh, forgot that I'm all sweaty. Sorry."

Minako laughed into Junpei's chest. She pulled back, now stickier than she begun. "Okay. I'm really sorry you guys. D'ya wannna go do something fun together? After a shower, I mean?"

"Hell yeah, " Junpei answered. "We were gonna go to karaoke! Come with us!"

The change in mood was a welcome one and Minako felt her smile finally returning. "Of course! Just let me get changed!" She turned to race him up the stairs but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Actually, later tonight... can we go to Tartarus? Maybe?" He asked, a little hesitantly.

Behind him, Yukari shook her head, concerned. "Junpei, that's not healthy. Not at all."

He sighed. "I know, but..."

Minako got out her phone to text Mitsuru-Senpai, seeing that she already had a message from her asking to speak alone at her earliest convenience, about some SEES business. While she answered her she thought about Junpei wanting to go to Tartarus. She thought about discouraging him from taking out his emotions physically on shadows, but the sheer hypocrisy might just kill her.

* * *

 **AN:** Well, I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but I think it's alright. If you have any comments or criticism, I would love to hear it, reviews give me life.

Much of this was fairly unpleasant to write. I feel a catharsis having done so, however.

I think the next chapter will be the last one. It's short for a multiparter, I know, but I'm not novelist. Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll come back to see the ending!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** This story contains mention and depictions of violence and abuse. On a less serious note, it also contains headcanons and liberties with the source material that may conflict with things like manga and drama CDs, but makes for a more interesting fic.

* * *

Mitsuru Kirijo was nervous. The exams that so worried her peers were like nothing to her, and she handled business decisions worth billions of yen without a second thought. Even fighting shadows, a battle on the front (and only) lines of a conflict that may threaten even humanity's continued existence, was a war she had grown accustomed to and no longer caused her anxiety. At least, no more than she felt it should.

So why was it that the thought of speaking to Iori about his abuse filled her with fear? If this had happened just a few months ago, she would not have thought twice about walking into his room to offer her condolences on his pain and her resources for his recovery. However, the increased closeness of SEES as of late, thanks to Arisato's leadership, had led her to discover the light-years of distance between the world she lives in and his. It was true that Iori would likely never know the stress of running a conglomerate like the Kirijo Group, nor had he he been a Persona-user and warrior since middle-school. But had she ever known what it was like for your mother to walk out of your life, and your remaining parent turn to alcohol to cope? She certainly couldn't understand said parent losing his job. And of course, her father had never hit her. She felt paralyzed, as if any action she took regarding him would absolutely be the _wrong_ one, that she could drive a wedge into this team permanently and not even realize it until the words were out of her mouth.

But she couldn't leave it alone. She felt a burning _need_ to take care of her own, to do anything in her power to help a member of their little family. And privately, she relished in it. Her grandfather would never have done such a thing- he would have found a way to take advantage of Iori's scars for his personal gain.

But to do it right, she needed help, which should be arriving any second now.

Arisato knocked twice quickly, and opened the door. She didn't wait for an invitation to come in before doing so, and strode confidently to Mitsuru's visiting chair. Only when seated did she ask: "You wanted to see me, Senpai?"

Mitsuru was a little jealous. Around her fellow second-years, Arisato was like a caring mother. To her, she was all business. "Arisato. Would you like a cup of tea?"

The younger girl picked up the cup in front of her and held it out, Mitsuru filled it. "Must be something serious then." Arisato remarked. "What's up?"

No running away from it now, Mitsuru. "A few days ago. I... I ran into Iori at the mall while doing some errands. He was very uncomfortable with my presence, and anxious to get away from me..."

Arisato nodded, but something about that seemed to bother her. "I see... Would this have been the day before yesterday?"

"Yes. I wanted to speak with you about it, as you are the closest to Iori here from what I can see. I want this issue fixed before it can become a significant threat to the team's unity." As she finished, she took a sip of tea, eyes closed. When she opened them again, Arisato was staring directly into her eyes, unnervingly.

"Is that _all_ the information you have for me, Senpai?" It was no use trying to hide what she had done, reading that file. Arisato could drag anything into the light in time.

"...Very well. I attempted to find the reason myself, and so read the file the Kirijo group provided me on all SEES members... You all have one. It lists family history, health reports, the like. I learned from that file that... that Iori's father is an alcoholic and, likely... physically abusive."

Ordinarily, when she got the information she really wanted, Arisato's face would split into a wide grin before she was off to cause some minor mischief or horrible vengeance. Now however she only bore a sad smile, and Mitsuru knew without a doubt that she already knew. But all she said was "So, do you have a hypothesis about his behavior, Senpai?"

"...I do. I feel I may make him nervous because I represent an authority figure to him, like his father. However that's only a guess, and it is a bit simple. I'm not very confident in it."

"The simplest answer is often the correct one," Minako offered. "I'd be willing to bet the true cause is not that far off. What makes you not confident?

"For one thing, you are a more direct authority than me, Arisato. As his field commander, he follows your orders far more often than mine, but you are his best friend."

Minako shook her finger like she was scolding a child. "Senpai, Senpai... There is a difference. The difference between command and control."

"...Can you elaborate?"

"Of course. What I have is 'command.' I'm right in there, in the trenches with him, and I make direct orders such as 'do this,' or 'attack that.' But the only reason that he listens to me when I tell him is because someone else told him to."

"Because I told him to..." Now she was understanding.

Minako nodded. "That's right. What you have is 'control,' like it or not. Even if you take orders from me in the field, we live in your house, we follow your rules, and most of us, he and I included, can only eat because we get an allowance from you. What does that sound like, Senpai?" Minako's tone was neither harsh nor judgmental. She only laid out facts.

Mitsuru sighed, a tad disheartened. "If that's true, than I don't see what I _can_ do."

"Don't give up so easily... But more importantly, what do you plan to do _for_ him, rather than because of his behavior, now that you've learned what's in his file?"

Mitsuru answered with what she had already decided earlier, without hesitation. "Whatever I can."

Now Minako was smiling for real. "Good. Now, here's my advice..."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, SEES' two leaders had moved upstairs, to the chairman's office. Iori arrived, looking a bit apprehensive, trailed by Takeba. Mitsuru noted the nervousness she expected from him, though she had hoped within herself it was all just a misunderstanding, that he had simply been having a string of bad days, and she wouldn't need to do what Minako had urged her to do.

Iori sat in a chair across the table from Mitsuru, who was seated on the couch alongside Arisato. Takeba took a seat next to Iori, as Arisato had requested that she stay with them to make Iori feel more at ease.

"Uh... what didja need, S-Senpai?" He asked, glancing between Mitsuru and Arisato.

"Iori, I called you here today for... a few things." Mitsuru began. "First of all, I'd like to address the way you acted at the mall the other day."

Iori winced and Arisato shot her a look. That had come out harsher than intended.

"What I mean, is... er, your involuntary reaction to... me." She was stuttering. Mitsuru Kirijo, tripping over her own words. If only she could just sink through the floor.

Iori sat with his knees close together and his arms crossed, looking as closed up as Mitsuru herself tended to. He was picking at his thumbnail, an apparent nervous habit no one present could ever say they had seen before. "No idea what you're talkin' about, Senpai." He responded after a deep breath.

For a brief half-second, Mitsuru was inflamed with irritation. She was doing this for his sake, dammit, and he was resisting her? But she forced it down. It was only natural that Iori was defensive about this. If she showed her stress, or, god forbid, had an outburst... It would be disastrous.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "When we were at the mall together, you seemed very uncomfortable with me there."

Junpei squeezed his fist and stared at her. "...I guess. Sorry."

"May I ask why that is the case?"

He was fidgeting now, and dropped his gaze to the table in between them uncomfortably. "...You're just kinda scary, Senpai."

Minako nodded to Mitsuru, who sighed. This was the part she had been dreading. "Iori, I'm afraid there's something I've been hiding from you."

He looked up, clearly very uncomfortable with where this was going. Perhaps he was already figuring it out. Still, he said nothing. The silence, coming from the usually loud boy left the other inhabitants of the room feeling an uncomfortable pressure in their ears, an awareness of something missing.

She continued. "When you first moved here, my assistants in the Kirijo group created a file on you, with information taken from public and private records. This information was sent to me for security purposes. The same is true of the rest of SEES."

Minako squeezed her arm. Yukari let out a shaky breath as information she had been forced to keep to herself was shared. Junpei leaned forward oddly, as if experiencing a cramp, angling his stare down to the floor.

"I had... skimmed it, prior to your arrival, but I did not read it carefully until last night. In it, I found..." She trailed off, trying to find a way to get the words out.

Junpei cut through the silence. "So, you know too, huh?" He muttered, coldly. "Everyone knows."

Yukari spoke up. "Nobody outside this room, Junpei." She laid her hand on his shoulder. He bristled, but didn't push her off.

Junpei took his hat off and rested his head in his hands, bracing his elbows on his thighs. "...So why'd you look in the file again, huh?" He asked Mitsuru.

"Well, I was looking for something that would explain your behavior-" As soon as the words left her mouth, she cut herself off with a hitch. There was a suddenly obvious problem with her methods. She cursed herself for her own actions. She cursed herself for not asking Minako for advice from the start. She cursed herself for trusting Akihiko's judgment on a matter that required social sensitivity.

"Why the hell didn't ya just _ask me_ then!?" Junpei shouted, head snapping up to stare Mitsuru dead in the eye.

"I-I..." Mitsuru didn't have an answer for that. Truthfully, there was no reason why she couldn't have simply approached him up-front.

...But that was just self-denial. She knew why she didn't; it was the same reason why she wouldn't tell the others the whole truth about the Dark Hour, (or what she knew of it, anyway) it was her nature to take all of the work onto herself. That meant shouldering the weight of the Kirijo group's sins, that meant leading the charge into Tartarus personally, and without even giving it a second thought, she had applied the same philosophy to a matter where it did not belong.

"You just- you didn't even _try_ to talk about it to me first, you just went right to spying on me!" Junpei spat, rising from his seat, alarming Minako and Yukari. "And ya wonder why I get so nervous around you!?"

"Junpei!" Yukari shouted his name at him and tried to drag him back into his seat. He locked his feet into the stance that Akihiko had taught him and she found that he was rooted quite securely to the ground. "C-Come on, let's not..." She said, grabbing him by the arm and squeezing gently. His breathing leveled and he grew quiet.

* * *

It took a few minutes for the meeting to return to order, during which Minako had a private word with each of the two sides, reassuring Mitsuru and calming Junpei.

Once peace had been restored, Mitsuru began anew. "Iori, I... I'm sorry. What I did was wrong. I only wanted to help... But, I've failed. I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me."

Yukari huffed. She never did like those files and she liked being forced to keep them a secret even less. Still, this apology was certainly a bit dramatic.

Junpei kept staring at the ground as he replied: "It's... Well, it's not okay, but I understand." He held his head back up and looked at her again. "I kinda expected you had something like that anyway. I still don't like it, but I forgive ya. Still, wish as few people as possible knew about my dad..."

"Iori, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Help? Heh. How do ya propose doin' that, Senpai?"

"That's what I'm asking you, Iori. To be honest..." Mitsuru trailed off. She knew what she had to say, but it didn't make it any easier. "I would understand if you would rather quit SEES. I hope it would not come to that, but-"

"No way!" Junpei said, a little louder than he should have. "It's not that big a deal, Senpai. Promise." He glanced at the SEES armband pinned to his sleeve, reached over, and adjusted it so the letters were more clearly readable. "...I'll never leave, even if I have to fight shadows for the rest of my life." He chose not to give voice to the thought that followed: _Especially if I have to fight for the rest of my life._

Mitsuru was uncomfortable with that idea, and so pressed on without it. "My offer still stands. Anything I can do to help, I will."

There was a pause as Junpei digested the idea, but he made no comment.

"This is an important topic, but I feel we've gotten a bit sidetracked," Mitsuru stated. "As I said, I hoped to find something to explain your unease around me. And I'm... concerned. Can you be honest with me? I want to know why it is that you say I'm 'scary,' and what I can do about it."

Mitsuru waited patiently while he fidgeted and glanced around like a kid being asked a question he didn't want to answer by his parents. "Well, there is _something,_ but..."

"Tell me. No matter what it is, tell me."

He took a deep breath and unwillingly continued. "Well, you're always threatening us with that 'execution' stuff, for one thing... I asked Akihiko-senpai about that once, but he just shivered and refused to answer. It's pretty, uh... unnerving."

Mitsuru blinked. "Is... Is that what you two feel too?" She asked to Yukari and Minako.

"I... did always think that was kind of creepy..." Yukari answered.

"I know you don't mean it like that, but death threats are probably against the rules for student council members." Said Minako.

Mitsuru considered this quietly for a moment, staring into space with her hands folded on her lap, stunned speechless. "I... hm." Was all she could say for a moment. Clearly she had made some mistakes with her handling of this team for a good while now. "Has it... really caused you that much distress?"

He nodded. "Well, yeah... I can't get a straight answer out of anyone of what it _is,_ which just makes it scarier. You're always threatenin' me in particular with it... Why wouldn't it?"

Mitsuru glanced around the room at her teammates. "And why didn't any of you tell me about this!?"

A chorus of shrugs. "I was kinda scared to speak up about anything like that..." Yukari offered.

The heiress turned her stare to Junpei. "D-don't look at me, Senpai! No way _I_ was gonna say anything about it!"

Minako stayed silent until Mitsuru addressed her. "And you, Arisato?"

"Well... I don't want to say I was _scared_ of you, but-"

Mitsuru slid forward in her seat and held her face in her hands. "I've failed." She mumbled into her palms.

"Th-that's not true, Senpai," Yukari started. "We still work as a team, don't we?"

"I have failed to lead without resorting to such shameful tactics as threats of violence, and it has caused harm to my team. That is inexcusable." Mitsuru stated gravely. "The effect my actions have had is disgusting. Please do not pretend it is not." She paused to allow her words to sink in.

"Iori," She started again, as the junior snapped to attention subconsciously. "I owe you an explanation, but nothing I say is to leave this room, understand?" All three nodded. "Before all of you joined... There was an incident involving Akihiko and I. I dropped a bottle of shampoo in the shower once, and it made a much louder noise than I expected. Akihiko heard it, assumed it was me that had fallen, and... well, barged in without knocking." Her face reddened as she continued. "I... Ah, I was surprised, so I grabbed my evoker without thinking. I summoned Penthesilea and attacked him with Bufu."

Minako winced. "Senpai's weak to ice, isn't he?"

Mitsuru was horribly embarrassed. "Y-yes. He is. Anyway, he said it was 'like an execution' later, so I've used that as a threat since then to keep him in line. I don't truly know if it was appropriate to do so with him, since it certainly has turned him into a disciplined young man... But it was certainly wrong to do so with anyone else. Iori, I apologize sincerely."

Junpei grinned, actually feeling better now that this was all out in the open. "Don't sweat it, Senpai. I'll do my best not to be too awkward around you, too. And don't worry about that story either, my lips are sealed!"

Mitsuru nodded, grateful.

Yukari suppressed a laugh. "Do you really shower with your-"

"Well, I think this meeting has concluded." Mitsuru stated with finality. "If you have any further comments, Iori, do not hesitate to approach me in the common room." She said, gently moving both Junpei and Yukari towards the door. "We won't be going to Tartarus tonight, so I'd suggest you spend the evening working on your studies." She shut the door on them both as she finished speaking.

"Do you keep it under your pillow too?" Minako asked from where she was seated on the couch.

"That's irrelevant." Mitsuru said, politely waving away the inquiry. "Back to the matter at hand... thank you, Arisato, for your help. I wouldn't have known where to begin on a matter like this without you. Granted, there were some complications... but I feel it worked out well in the end."

"Ah," Minako stopped her. "A correction, Senpai? This isn't the 'end' of anything. It's the start. Now you're going to have to carefully examine your leading style and adjust it, not to mention purging bad habits and starting good ones."

Mitsuru sighed. "I know. It won't be easy. I still have a lot to learn... from you, especially."

"I'm flattered you feel that way, Senpai. I can start teaching you tomorrow, when you treat me to coffee."

* * *

She was late. Mitsuru admired Arisato when it came to combat and leadership, but in discipline and punctuality she was certainly lacking. And to show up late to a free coffee date, too.

Mitsuru didn't want to go inside and sit by herself, so she chose to wait on the bench outside. As a matter of fact, this was the same bench that she had spoken to Iori on. Funny, all the things that had come out of that incident over the past few days, only for the aftermath to lead her here again.

As she contemplated these things, head down and eyes closed, she felt somebody sit down next to her. She thought it might have been Arisato, and snapped her eyes open to look, but in fact, it was Iori there. "Sup, Senpai?" He said, cheerfully.

"Iori... Good afternoon. How was school?"

"Same old, same old." He answered. "I, uh... I didn't actually have anything special to say when I sat down here. It's just that you were pretty hard on yourself yesterday, so I wanted to sort of show... there's no hard feelings. I actually kind of feel better about everything now." His friendly grin was certainly a weight off her shoulders.

"Thank you, Iori. I appreciate that." She smiled back at him, an unusual sight to the young man. "Although, I had something to say myself. I did some research and called some of my company's lawyers. It would be quite possible, if you wish, to bring your father into court and have him ordered to go into rehab for his addiction. You could continue to see him if you wish, or not. It's all up to you."

Junpei's smile faded as the conversation shifted back to less pleasant matters. "I... I dunno, Senpai. I mean, it's probably the right thing to do, but..."

"You don't have to answer now, Iori. But I feel you should know it is an option. And... for my part, if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable in this team, or to make up for my past transgressions, you need only ask. Within reason, of course."

Junpei already had something in mind. "How about... callin' me somethin' other than my last name?"

She blinked. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really, but... if we're all friends, it seems kinda weird to call me 'Iori' doesn't it? 'Junpei' would be fine. Oh, how about 'Junpei-kun?' You've got my permission for that."

"J-Junpei-kun..." Mitsuru said, trying it out in her own voice. "I... suppose that's reasonable, outside of school, of course. Feel free to call me Mitsuru, as you usually do. I would suggest something more intimate, but anything beyond that begins to push the limits of propriety..."

"Aww," Said Junpei, "So I can't call ya Mitsu-tan like Mina-tan and Yuka-tan?"

Mitsuru looked at him, incredulous, but he must have mistaken it for a glare. "Just kidding, Senpai! Kidding!" He said, holding up his arms in a placating gesture.

"...Quite alright, Ior- Junpei-kun. I was just surprised, not upset." It actually felt kind of satisfying to be nicknamed in the same fashion that he did the girls he considered himself equal to. It may not be appropriate, but after the events of the last few days, She was quite happy to have him comfortable enough around her to crack jokes.

They settled into a comfortable enough silence for a few more moments as Minako continued to not show up.

"Hey," Junpei began, "I'm sorry too, for freakin' out on ya so much. I don't want you thinking I associate you with my dad or anything, cause I definitely don't."

She smiled. "That was a concern of mine."

"Actually, Mitsuru-senpai... I kinda admire you."

"I'm pleased to hear that, but why?"

He shrugged. "Well, you've always got a cool head in battle... Lord knows I mess up a lot of the time 'cause I'm impatient. And you've got a way better handle on Penthesilea than I got on Hermes... I, uh... I won't get into school stuff, that goes without saying."

"School aside, mastery of your Persona will come in time. Don't forget that I have been doing this far longer than you. That's all. I think you're selling yourself short, Junpei-kun. You're not as bad in Tartarus as you seem to think."

"You mean that?" He said, looking at her for the first time since they fell into silence. "...Still, I've had a bit of a wakeup call recently... I used to want to be the leader, instead of Mina-tan, but... I don't think I want anyone but her to lead, anymore. And when it comes to the organization side of things, I would rather you be in charge, Senpai. There's no two people I would rather have leading me than you two." He grinned at her again. His smile was bright, and she felt her mood lifting further just seeing it.

"Junpei..." Mitsuru was slightly stunned. "Thank you. I promise you, I shall not betray that trust."

When Minako did eventually show up, she was so pleased to see Mitsuru and Junpei speaking to each other like friends, that she invited him to come with them for coffee. When Mitsuru reminded her that they were going to speak about something slightly private, the younger girl told her not to worry. After all, her Senpai could always treat her again another time.

* * *

 **AN:** And it's done! This chapter was very difficult to write and went through several editions. It might be kind of cluttered and messy, but I'm happy with the story at large.

Soon, I'll be working on another multichapter fic I've already written the first couple of paragraphs for. Still Persona 3 of course, although I'd like to dip my toes back into P4 as well.

If you enjoy Persona 3 family fic as much as I do, I'd like to recommend sayumi-konoto's work "ふたりで" which is in my favorite stories list. I can't get enough of that one. Also, if you enjoyed my story or didn't like it, please leave a review telling me about it! I read and appreciate all of them. Take care of yourselves.


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